Asparagus basket



April 26, 1938. Y F H, ALL 2,115,451

ASPARAGUS BASKET Filed Sept. 13. 1937 .egZgUNVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATE-s einser 'ori-ice f 4 Claims.

This invention relates to baskets, and its general object is to provide a basket that is primarily designed for handling and initially bunching asparagus and the like, it being especially adapted for use by the cutter in the eld, in that the sprigs or tips can be easily and expeditiously placed in the basket after being cut without material danger of damage or breakage thereto, and the basket is shaped to automatically bunch or to hold the sprigs in bundle formation, so as to allow easy cutting thereof to the proper length, when the basket is full, with the result, that butts, stems and waste matter can be left in the eld, and thence the sprigs are ready for the grading or packing shed, when brought from the field.

A further object is to provide an asparagus basket that is light in weight, easy to handle and carry, simple in constructions, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely efficient in use and service. n

This invention also consists in certain other features of Construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying ydrawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the basket which forms the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front View thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken approximately on line 4 4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that my basket includes two spaced sections,

which are referred to as a body section and an end section, and each section includes a pair of wall members indicated respectively by the reference numerals I, 2, 3 and 4, the wall members I and 2 being for the body section and the wall members 3 and 4 for the end section.

A base frame aids in holding the wall members in proper position, and in a manner whereby the wall members I and 2 are inclined rearwardly, and the wall members 3 and 4 are disposed in an upright vertical position, as best shown in Figure l. The base frameincludes side strips 5 and strips 6, the latter being disposed at the front end of the basket and the strips are nailed or otherwise secured to the wall members. 'I'he wall members are likewise provided with inclined braces "l and 8 extending diagonally between the same and secured thereto, by nails or other means.

opening and the openings extend from adjacent the lower ends of the wall members and through the upper ends thereof. It will be noted from Figure 2, that the openings are substantially semi-circular in formation andslightly elongated, with the greatest degree of curvature'at the lower portions thereof. The openings of the wall members are indicated by the reference number Ill,` and each opening is beveled downwardly from the front to the rear of the basket. Y

Mounted in the openings of the wall members I and 2 and secured thereto in the mannerV to follow the'shape thereof isa sheet II of reticulated material such as wire mesh, and the sheet II bridges the wall members I and 2 to provide a closure including curved sides and bottom. Bridging the openings of the wall members Band 4, is a like sheet l2 of reticulated material to provide curved sides and bottom, and it will be noted as best shown in Figure 3, that the lower portions of the openings IIl extend one below the other in step formation from the front end of the basket, so that the bottoms of the closures provided by the sheets II and I2 are inclined rearwardly.

The rear end of the basket is closed by a solid wall or back I3 which extends above the wall member I, and is secured thereto. The front end of the basket is open and it will be obvious that the sprigs of the asparagus and the like are cut in the usual manner and placed in the basket, with the tip ends innermost, so that wall I3 provides an abutment means therefor.V Y

I also provide a handle for the basket, the handle being of the bail type and indicated by the numerical reference i4 and has its ends reenforced by collar members I5. The collared ends of the handle are pivotally secured tothe upper longitudinal strips I5 of the body section adjacent Vto the inner ends thereof, through the instrumentality of pivot pins Il. The end section is likewise provided with upper strips I8 and the strips I6 and I8 are secured to the wall members,

shown in Figure 4, and the upper edges of the sheets II and I2 may be secured between the pairs of strips, but in any event the upper edges of the sheets Il and l2 are fixed, and as shown in Figure 4 are secured to the innermost strips.

It will be notedgas best shown in Figure 1, that the end section is spaced Vat a considerable distance from the body section to providebetween the same, a knife receiving space. When, the basket is filled with sprigs, they bridge the space and the butt-ends of the sprigs are cut along the inclined wall member of the body section, so that all the sprigs will be of equal length. It will, of course, be understood that the tip ends of the sprigs are disposed in abutting relation with the front wall I3. When the sprigs are cut, the portion remaining within the end section and which are called butts, can be removed from the basket with the result the butts, stems and waste matter can be left in the field, thence the tips of the sprigs which remain in the body section areready for the gradngvand packing shed, and can be carried by my basket from the eld or transferred from the basket to a carrying crate in the eld in bundles and carried to the packing shed in said carrying crate, without fear of bruising, damaging or breaking the same.

. It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be madein the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A basket designed for handling asparagus tips and the like, and comprising a body section, an end section spaced from the body section to provide a knife receiving space between the sections, said sections having open upper portions, said end section having open ends, said body sec ftion having an open inner end and a closed outer end, vthe latter providing the rear of the basket,

andV each section having arounded bottom inclined downwardly from the front Vto the rear ends of the basket.

.2.,A basket designedV for handling asparagus Y tips and the like, and comprising a body section,

an end section spaced fromthe body section tol provide a, knife receiving space between the sections, reticulatin-g material providing the sides and bottoms of the sections and each section having an open upper portion, said end section having open ends, said body section having an open inner end and a closed outer end, the latter providing the rear of the basket, and the bottoms being curved transversely and inclined down-v wardly from the front tothe basket. l

3. A basket designed for handling asparagus tips and the like, and comprising a base frame, a body section, an end section spaced from the body section to provide a knife receiving space rear ends of the between the sections, said sections secured to and rising from the base frame, reticulated material included in each section and providing the sides and bottoms therefor, said sections having open upper portions, said end section having open ends, said body section having an open inner end and a closed outer end, the latter providing the rear of the basket, the bottoms being rounded and inclined downwardly from the front to the rear ends of the basket, and a handle for the basket and pivotally secured to the bodyrsection,

.4. A basket designed for handling asparagus tips and the like, and comprising a base frame, a body section, an end section spaced from the body section to provide a knife receiving space between the sections, a pair of wall members included in each section and having substantially semi-circular openings therein extending through theupper ends thereof, said wall members being secured to and rising from the base frame, sheets of reticulated material bridging the wall of each section and having their ends secured to the walls ofthe openings, the walls of the openings being inclined from the front to the rearH ends of the basket for disposing the bottoms of the sections accordingly, the endsection having means for the sections, and a handleQfor the basket andpivotally secured to the body section. Y

FRED H. .ALLQ 

